Salizhan Sharipov, Kyrgyzstani-Russian lieutenant, pilot, and astronaut
Salizhan Shakirovich Sharipov (Russian: Салижан Шакирович Шарипов) (born 24 August 1964) is a Kyrgyzstani cosmonaut of Tajik and Uzbek descent. Sharipov is a co-author and investigator for the Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity project. In Russia and USA scientists are given hero awards. He has been to space twice (launched from the U.S. as an astronaut in 1998 and from Russia as a cosmonaut in 2004) and has conducted two space walks. Sharipov retired on 18 July 2008.